Finding Faith in the Fog - Encouragement for Today - May 19, 2015

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Reality snapped me to attention. Just two hours before, I had left an encouraging Christian conference, full of hope, full of the love of Jesus, full of direction for my life, full of courage to get it done.

Or so I thought.

The upbeat praise and worship music streamed from the car speakers into my heart as I loudly sang the words. Suddenly, though, my singing stopped.

My fingers white-knuckled the steering wheel as I rounded a corner of the mountain road, right into a dense fog. The fog was so thick it shielded the landscape like a thick blanket.

I had driven this familiar stretch of road a hundred times before. I knew it by heart. But at that moment, my heart was panicky.

My eyes strained to see past the hood of the car. I knew they were there, but I couldn’t see the white lines on the two-lane road. All I could do was cry out to God.

"Lord, I am scared. Please guide me. You are the same God on the sunny, clear, mountaintop days, when I can see for miles, as You are right now. I see nothing. Please show me the way. I am doubting everything I know to be true."

As my car inched along, I reflected on the uplifting conference where I had been for the last three days. God called me there to clearly trust Him and serve Him. I knew that full well, just as I know my name.

But minutes later, I was doubting God. I was so scared, but I had to keep driving. All I could do was repeat a desperate prayer: "Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Help me keep going. Lord, help me."

About an hour later, I exited off the twisting, mountainous road and into the driveway of my destination. I exhaled. I don’t know if I had fully breathed since I hit the fog.

My hands still shook as I reached in the dark for my car door handle. I deeply inhaled that foggy mountain air and made my way to the front door. Once inside the house, I fell to my knees in thanksgiving for the miracle God had just brought me through. It was only then that I realized I had just lived a message: Foggy nights produce deeper faith.

Since then, I have hit other "patches of fog" in my faith journey. Usually the doubt comes soon after a deeply meaningful time when I feel God’s presence and see clearly His purpose for me. It is then that my faith is tested.

Our key verse reminds us that true faith is finding certainty in uncertain territory. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

This chapter, Hebrews 11, is often referred to as the Bible’s "Hall of Faith." I love reading all the different examples of extraordinary faith, from Abel and Abraham to Rahab the prostitute. Each "Hall of Faith Honoree" demonstrated faith in the foggy times of life.

God is with you, whatever circumstances you find yourself in today, whether you’ve just celebrated an uplifting, mountaintop experience or groped blindly through the foggiest night of your life. Know the same God on the sunny, clear day is the same God in the foggy night.

May we be encouraged to find and strengthen our faith in the fog and in the SON.

Lord Jesus, You are my Rock and my Redeemer. Thank You for the sweet times when I can feel Your presence so easily and know Your purpose for me. Forgive me for doubting You in the foggy times. Thank You for testing my faith and refining me. Please help guide my every step. Help me do what You call me to do, even when I’m scared of the darkest hours and the foggy circumstances of my life. I am Yours. You are mine. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Isaiah 7:11, "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." (NIV)

Matthew 15:28, "Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment." (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:
If you’ve ever wondered where to take the next step, you’ll appreciate Lysa TerKeurst’s book, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith. Get your copy today.